The below-referenced U.S. patents disclose embodiments that were at least, in part, satisfactory for the purposes for which they were intended. The disclosures of all the below-referenced prior United States patents in their entireties are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application for purposes including, but not limited to, indicating the background of the present invention and illustrating the state of the art.
Examples of warming drawers previously patented by Western Industries, Inc. include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,279,659 and 7,235,762, the entireties of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,982,399 relates to a towel warmer having an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated by a partition with a blower located in an upper portion of the housing. A sealable access means encloses the towel warming chamber while a temperature sensor provides an indication of the temperature within the warmer. The towel warmer has a substantially airtight trapezoidal enclosure and a first means consisting of a rhomboidal cavity inclined from front to back to hold the towel to be heated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,589 discloses a towel warmer and dryer cabinet. The towel warmer and dryer cabinet has a front panel supported pivotably on an upper end of a towel rod support member and movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The towel warmer and dryer cabinet further has a securing means constructed to engage a support member for moving at least one towel rod accurately through the front side of the cabinet between retracted and extended positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,343 pertains to a towel and garment warmer. In the disclosed warmer, a garment or towel is supported by a plurality of rods extending through a portion of the enclosure of the warmer. A cover is pivotably connected to the housing to allow insertion and removal of the garment therefrom. The device for warming towels and other fabric items has a cabinet with an openable top lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,525,298 relates to a towel warmer. The towel warmer includes a housing having a pivotable door attached thereto and a cavity with a circulation plate positioned therein. The warmer further includes a hot air towel warmer having a first means disposed within a substantially airtight enclosure having air passages therethrough to support a towel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,436 discloses a hot air towel warmer having a pivotable door constructed to allow passage of a towel into the warmer device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,227 discloses a towel warming console cabinet. An enclosure of the disclosed cabinet includes a plurality of supports constructed to receive materials thereon, a fan configured to circulate a heated air flow and a heat unit constructed to warm the circulated flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,287 relates to a towel warmer having a tubular rack constructed to support a garment to be warmed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,640 also discloses an apparatus for warming a towel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,403 discloses a towel warmer wherein the towel is removably mounted on a rack within a closed cabinet. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,100 discloses an article warmer with heated frame and flexible enclosure.
As the above attempts are lacking in some respect, there exists a need for a state-of-the-art electronically controlled warmer drawer that overcomes these deficiencies.